Music-rack.



I. C. DILLON. MUSIC RAGE.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.23,190B.

Patented June 22, 1909.

J. C. DILLON.

MUSIC mcg. APPLICATION IILD SEPT. 23, 1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

' Messes:

JOSEPH C. DILLON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MUSIC-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June e2, 190e...

Application filed September 23, 1908. Serial No. 454,432.

' the novel features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention is more especially intended for detachable attachment to the front of pianos for supporting sheets of music nearer to the eyes of the performer than is possible with the customary music racks constituting permanent parts of pianos.

The music-rack of my invention is of special construction adapting it to be applied to and removed from a piano at will and to be compactly folded or bundled together so as to occu y a minimum space, when not in use, ailid to lie conveniently carried from place to ace.

P While the music-rack of my invention is intended rimarily for use on pianos, it may, without c iange in its structure, be conveniently connected with the edge of a door or other support.

The structure of my invention comprises a clip for attachment to the piano or other support, a bracket-arm detachably connected therewith and inclining downwardly and frontwardly therefrom, and a foldable rackframe detachably and adjustably connected with the lower end of said bracket-arm, the rack-frame being supported by the bracketarm, the bracket-arm by the clip, and the clip by the upper front edgeof a piano or other convenient support.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompan ino drawings in which:

C C l Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a piano with the music-rack of my invention applied thereto in position for supporting the sheets of music in front of the performer; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the music-rack shown as supported on the edge of a door, Fig. 3 is an edge view, partly broken away and partly in section, of the rack shown as applied to the upper front edge f a piano, the rack-frame being illustrated in central vertical section; Fig. 4 is a perper end of the bracket-arm spective view, detached from one another and ready for assembly, of the clip, bracketarm and central bar of the rack-frame, with the nuts for connecting said parts together in'.

the manner in which they are represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached side elevation, artly in section, ofi

the clip with its means to the upper front edge edge of a door or other support; Fig. 6 is a detached front elevation of the clip and uploosely ap lied thereto, the dotted lines indicating saidp clip as turned from the vertical position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the rack-frame shown in its folded condition.

In the drawings, 10 designates a portion of a piano of usual form and construction. l

To the upper edge'of the front 11 of the or securing the same piano 10, Iv apply the music-rack of my in-I vention, this rack as a whole comprising a clip 12, bracket-arm 14, and rack-frame 15, the latter comprising a central vertical bar 16 to which is pivoted, at opposite sides ofH its center, the horizontal barsz17, 18, which are connected at their outer portions by vertical bars 19 pivoted thereto. The bars 18 are of angle-shape in cross-section so as toA afford a support for the lower edges of the sheets of music; and to the upper bars 17 I pivot auxiliary bars or short strips 20 which may be turned upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, to aid in supporting tall sheets of music or folded downwardly in line with said bars 17j so as to be out of the way. The bars 17 eX- tend outwardly beyond the vertical bars 19,

and the lower ends of the bars 19 are pivotally secured to the ends of the bars 18, thus,

of a piano or to the" as shown in Fig. 2, affordingV a su port which will leave the lower corners of t ie sheets of..l

music entirely free to be reached by the performer in turning over the music. The proportions of the parts of the frame 15 are such that the bars 19 will stand inwardly from the outer vertical edges of the sheets ofrnusic,l

and that the upper outer portions of said sheets will be backed bythe outwardly eX- tending portions of the bars 17. It is my intention to so construct the frame leave the lower outer corners of the sheets of music entirely free from any obstructions which might interfere with their being quickly grasped in the operation of turning over the lmusic'. The central bar 16 of the l5 as toJ frame 15 Ais broader than the bars 17, 19, and formed in its upper and lower sections with vertical elongated slots 21, the middle of the bar 16 being left intact between the adjoining ends of the bars 17, 18. The frame 1'5 may by reason of its construction hereinb'efore described, have its side portions folded upwardly upon the central bar 16, as shown in Fig. 7, whereby said frame is caused to occupy but little space `and may be conveniently carried. Y

Upon the back of the central bar 16 l secure on the same rivets whichpivot'all'y conneet the bars 17 at the middle of the frame, a metal plate 22 having 'laterally projecting portions whoseV lowerfed'ges are bent 'fo-rwardly 'to form lips 23, which, when 'the fra-'me is unfolded or opened downwardly into the -condition in which it is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 andl3, afford stops 'to arrest the downward movement of the foldiable portions of the frame, said .lips being in a position in which they arrest the middle bars ('17) of the frame 15 and thereby avoid any tendency of the bars l17, 18, to turn 'downwardly beyond la horizontal position.

The clip 12 comprises a metal bar bent to form three sides which are preferably lined with felt or other :soft material 24., so that the clip may not injure any sup ort to which it 'may be ap lied. One mem yer 25 of the clip is formewith a threaded aperture 26 to receive a set lscrew 27 by whichthe clip may be clamped upon the front 1 1 'of a piano in the manner indicated in Fig. 3.

The inner end of the screw 27 is preferably supplied with a rubber `or 'other soft thimble 28 containing a metal plate 29, against which the end vof the screw 24 may bear, said plate 29 being carried by the thirnbl'e '28 Vand 'not formed 'as a rigid part of said screw. The outer member 30 'of the cli 1'2 is provided rigidly with `a screw 31 and head 32, the latter being 'at the base of the screw and preferably being set diamond-shape, that lis said head y32 is rectangular in outline Aand is securedwith its sides vvset at an angle to the vertical plane of the member 3'0, whereby the 'upper A'edge Vof -the head 32 presents two dive'rgmg sides to the bracket-'arm 14 to be supported thereon, in lieu of only one side,

which would afford 'less surface and less supp'o'rt for 'the bracket-arm than the two sides secured by the angular disposition of said head 'shownin Figs. 3 andy 6. The clip 12 may be secured to the upper front edge of a piano by means ofthe screw 27 in an obvious manner, and said clip after being secured in position will receive the bracket arm 14.

The bracket-arm 14 vis 'a plain metal bar which "inclines downwardly 'and' forwardly andhas its np'per lend bent .into la 'vertical plane, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and aperturedas at 3B, to pass snugly npo'n'the Vhead A 32 'carried by the 'clip 12. The aperture 33 in the up 'er end of the arm 14 may pass freely over te s'c-rew 31 and snugly receive the head 32, the rear face of said end pressing irrnly against the outer face of the member 30 'of the clip and the screw 31 being exposed at the Vfront of the arm 14 in position to receive the `nut 34, which when tightened on the screw 31 will firmly bind the upper end of the bracket-arm 14 in osition.

The lower end of t' e bracket-arm V14 is bent at-an inclination but is less inclined than the main body of the arm, so that it may appropriatel'y engage the rear 'face of the central bar 16 of the frame 15 and with the screw 35 and thumb-nut 36 securely hold the frame 15 at a suitable inclination to support the sheets of music before the performer at the piano. The lower end of the bar 14 is vformed with a polygonal aperture 37 and the screw 35 is formed with a polygonal section 38 ada ted to enter and engage the sides of Ione of t e slots 21 in the bar 16 and also enter and l'l the aperture 37 in the lower end of the bar 14, whereby the screw 35 is prevented from turning either in the slot of the bar 16 or in vthe aperture 37, and at the same time the polygonal portion 38 of the screw 35 may coperate withthe edges of the slots 2,1 in the bar 16 in guiding the frame 15 during any vertical adjustment of 'the latter on the bracket-arm 14. The screw 35 is formed with a head 39, which, when the polygonal portion 38 of the screw is in the bar 16 and aperture` 37, will engage the face of said bar at o posite edges of the slot 21 and may be f main arts, to-wit: the clip 12,`bracketarm 14 an frame 15, and these parts are so constructed 'that they may be quickly applied to and removed from a piano and quickly connected together and separated from one -an` other. The rubber thimble for the screw 27 and the lining of the clip 12 prevent during the use of the piano any rattling ofthe cli on *the front 11 or any vibration from exten ing to the bracket-arm 14 and frame 15, and said thimble and lining also revent the clip from marrin the piano or ot er support to which it may e applied.

One value of the invention resides in the applicability of the structurerto the front of a piano in position to hold the music nearer to the eyes of the performer than is possible with music-.racks constituting permanent parts of a piano, and l deem this feature of the invention of very great importance, since after a wide experience I am convinced that f sheet-music should be 'brought nearer to the performer at a piano than has heretofore een the case in instances in which the racks have vbe'en'perma'nent parts of pianos.

It is essential y'that there should be novi- .iso

bration of the parts of a music-rack attached to a piano, and this result has been attained in the structure described, since the frame 15 has its parts closely riveted together (although capable of being folded and unfolded) and the upper end of the arm 14 is capable of being firmly supported on the head 32 and bound against the front member 30 of the clip 12. The lower end of the arm 14 may be firmly secured to the bar 16 and said arm 14 is of considerable stiffness so as to prevent vibration therein. the arm 14 I form on its rear surface a longitudinal rib 40, whereby said arm 14 is enabled to resist vibration and firmly support at its lower outer end the frame 15 and such music as may be placed on said frame.

Thile my invention is primarily intended for the use of piano players and to be applied to the upper front edge of a piano, it may also be utilized in connection with other supports, and in Fig. 2 1 illustrate the musicrack as applied to the edge of an ordinary door, the only requirement necessary in attaching the rack to the edge of a door being to slip the clip 12 horizontall on the edge of the door instead of verticalfy over the upper front edge of a piano. After the clip 12 has been applied to the edge of a door or like support, the bracket-arm 14 may be secured thereto and the frame 15 then secured to said arm.

1n Fig. 6 1 illustrate the clip 12 in its vertical position by full lines and in its horizontal position by dotted lines. In view of the angular disposition of the head 32 on the clip 12, 1 may always secure the value of having two -sides of said head as a support for the arm 14, whether the clip is placed yFfertically, as in Fig. 1, or horizontally, as in Then my invention is to be put out of use or carried, the clip, bracket-arm and frame 15 may be detached from one another and said frame 15 have its sides folded upwardly upon the bar 16, as shown in Fig. 2, in which condition of the parts the supporting iianges of the bars 18 form a trough between which the bracket-arm 14 may be placed and the whole compactly bundled together.

Wvhat 1 claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. A music-rack comprising the clip having means for securing it to a support and provided at its front with a screw and a polygonal head at the base thereof, a downwardly and frontwardly inclined bracketarm having at its upper end a polygonal aperture to seat on said head and at its lower end a polygonal aperture, a rack-frame for supporting the music and having a central As a means for stilfening slotted bar to engage the lower end of said arm, a nut on said screw for securing the upper end of said arm, a screw having a head to engage the face of said bar and a polygonal portion to enter the slot therein and the aperture at the lower end of said arm, and a nut on said screw for binding said bar and arm together; substantially as set forth.

2. A music-rack comprising the clip having means for securing it to a support and provided with a screw and a polygonal head at the base thereof presenting diverging upper sides, a downwardly and frontwardly inclined bracket-arm having at its upper end a polygonal aperture to seat on said sides of said head, a nut on said screw for binding the upper end of said arm in position, and a rack-frame secured on the lower' end of said arm; substantially as set forth.

3. A music-rack comprising a metal cli having three sides in one of which is a thread ed aperture and on another of which is a rigid screw and a head at the base thereof, a clamping screw in said aperture having a cushion on its inner end, a downwardly and frontwardly inclined bracket-arm having at its upper end an aperture to pass over said rigid screw and seat on said head, a nut on said rigid screw for binding the upper end of said arm in position, and a rack-frame secured on the lower end of said arm; substantially as set forth.

4. A music-rack comprising the clip having means for securing it to a support,

a downwardly and frontwardly inclined bracket-arm, means for detachably securing said arm to said clip, a rack-frame, and means for detachably securing the same to the lower end of said arm; substantially as set forth.

5. A music-rack comprising the clip having means for securing it to a support', a downwardly and frontwardly inclined bracket-arm, means for detachably securing said arm to said clip, a rack-frame, and means for detachably securing the same to the lower end of said arm, said rack-frame comprising a central bar, horizontal bars pivotally secured at adjoining ends to opposite side portions thereof, and vertical bars pivotally secured to and connecting the outer portions of said horizontal bars, whereby said frame at its sides may be folded on said central bar 5 substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of September A. D. 1908.

JOSEPH C. DILLON.

Witnesses ARTHUR MARION, CHAs. C. GILL. 

